Further to the Urgent Action sent on 9 October 2009 and subsequent updates, Front Line has received the following new information with regard to imprisoned human rights defenders Mr Yadih Ettarrouzi, Mr Rachid Sghayar and Mr Saleh Lebayhi in Western Sahara.

Further Information

Front line welcomes the release on 18 May 2010 of three Saharawi human rights defenders: Mr Yahdih Ettarrouzi, aged 29, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH); Mr Rachid Sghayar, aged 37, a member of the Action Committee Against Torture in Dakhla/Western Sahara and Mr Saleh Lebayhi, aged 37, the President of the Forum for the Protection of Saharawi Children and the head of the Samara branch of AMDH.

The release of the three defenders follows a decision, on 18 May 2010, by the court of appeal in Sale to accept the appeal lodged by the defence team against the order by the military court in Rabat to detain the three defenders. The same court rejected the appeal to release three other defenders in the same case who remain in detention at Sale military prison, namely: Mr Ali Salem Tamek, the Vice-President of the Saharawi Collective of Human Rights Defenders (CODESA); Mr Brahim Dahane, the President of the Saharawi Association of Victims of Grave Violations of Human Rights (ASVDH); Mr Ahmad Anasiri, the General Secretary of the Saharawi Committee for the Defence of Human Rights in Smara. Ms Idagja Lachgare, the seventh defender in the same case was released on 28 January 2010.

The seven defenders, who were arrested on 8 October 2009 at Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca, are likely to be subjected to judicial prosecution before the military court on charges related to their human rights activities including the right to freedom of self determination.

The original Front Line Urgent Action relating to this case can be found at http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/node/2471